Chapter 251
Chapter 251
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 251
Chapter Title: Yuri vs. Black Sword Soldiers (2)
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The golden light emanating from Yuri's sword blade scraped against the three-colored net of trajectories intertwined like a web.
Kwa-ga-gang—!
A heavy reverberation echoed repeatedly.
The three-colored net hesitated for a moment but soon spread its wings again, constricting Yuri even tighter.
‘Tough.’
Realizing that this level of power wouldn’t break their combined strike formation, Yuri changed his approach.
‘If I can’t shatter it from the outside… I’ll wreck it from within.’
He’d been swinging horizontally without pause, focusing on slashing the three-colored net, but now he raised his sword tip upright.
The golden light, now shaped like an awl, tried to burrow into the gaps between the crudely woven three-colored trajectories.
But the Black Sword Soldiers didn’t panic at such a reckless move.
How much practice had they put in since mastering this combined strike formation? How many trials and tribulations had they endured?
Their experience and skill weren’t so shallow that they’d falter at a mere surprise like this.
Zuzuk—.
In response to the awl-like breach piercing through the net, the Black Sword Soldiers altered their movements.
With that, the bars of the three-colored trajectories began to writhe.
The three-colored trajectories, wriggling like octopus tentacles, lashed out like whips.
Dozens of ever-changing sword paths.
The attacks were so fierce and hard to track that it was hard to believe they came from just three people combined.
‘So this is a combined strike formation!’
The magical formula that turned 1+1+1 into not just 3, but 4 or more.
Experiencing it firsthand, Yuri gleefully swung his sword with abandon.
The golden trajectory piercing inward clashed relentlessly against the three-colored whips clinging to it.
The four swords’ paths waged a fierce battle, each vying to claim the other’s space.
At first, Yuri was on the defensive.
Of course, that was because he wasn’t going all out, just observing and analyzing the formation.
But as time passed and his understanding of the formation grew, the tide gradually evened out.
Even though he still wasn’t at full power.
‘The certified 4th dan is the core of the formation, while the others drive the changes.’
The red, blue, and white colors indicated that they’d each trained in different martial body techniques.
The energies from these distinct techniques were fusing through the combined strike formation.
And when Yuri grasped even a bit of that principle.
He couldn’t help tilting his head.
‘What is this… something’s off?’
He didn’t know exactly what was wrong yet, but he definitely felt something strange.
Frowning slightly, Yuri probed the formation more deeply.
Soon, he realized the source of that odd sensation.
‘They’re exposing a gap this blatantly?’
As his understanding deepened, he spotted a weakness that could dismantle it.
A glaring hole, practically screaming, ‘Poke here!’
‘A trap?’
He naturally suspected as much.
It could be bait disguised as a weakness to lure the enemy in.
Yet the gap Yuri saw in their formation was too blatantly exposed for that.
‘Hmm…….’
After pondering, Yuri shook off the thought and grinned broadly.
‘Screw it, whatever. Let’s poke it anyway!’
Even if it was a real trap, he didn’t feel it posed any real danger.
He was confident he could break out of any crisis it threw at him.
With that, Yuri boldly thrust his sword into the opening he’d found.
“……?!”
The golden trajectory slipped effortlessly between the three colors, making the fierce exchange up to that point seem laughable.
Bewilderment flickered in the Black Sword Soldiers’ eyes.
At the same time, the tightly interlocked three-colored lights began to tangle chaotically.
Even Yuri, who’d caused the disruption himself, was stunned.
“Huh… it was really a gap?”
Not a deliberate lure, but a genuine weakness, it seemed.
The formation’s movements were twisting and collapsing rapidly, proving it.
Whatever the reason, Yuri wasn’t foolish enough to let the opportunity slip.
Skeuk—.
“Kuh!”
Yuri’s sword cleaved through the lagging blue trajectory alone.
The certified 3rd dan Black Sword Soldier’s blade shattered.
Not stopping there, he spat blood from the massive impact and flew backward.
With the weakness pierced and one supporting pillar gone, the formation that had barely held balance lost all efficacy.
Yuri didn’t miss it, charging like lightning.
Kwarung—!
With a thunderous crash, the remaining two Black Sword Soldiers were struck hard and sent flying back.
In the process, the other certified 3rd dan Black Sword Soldier’s arm broke.
Only the certified 4th dan, who’d been the formation’s core, barely managed to steady himself.
“Kuh!”
Pain throbbed from a cracked ankle, but the Black Sword Soldier reset his stance and charged at Yuri again.
His refusal to give up even after defeat was sealed was true to a Black Sword Soldier’s battle-mad nature.
The problem was that Yuri was just as tenacious.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
Kwang!
The veteran Black Sword Soldier charging at Yuri took a blow to the back of his head and toppled forward, legs twitching.
But only for a moment.
Soon, he went limp and fell completely silent.
“Hmm…….”
Yuri looked around.
The one with the broken arm was already unconscious, and only the first Black Sword Soldier, whose sword had shattered and sent him flying, was still conscious, gasping raggedly.
Yuri walked toward the sprawled man.
Heok, heok.
Yuri stared down at him, blood trickling from his mouth.
He flicked the blood off his sword and asked,
“This seems like the end of it… Before I head to the next floor, mind if I ask one thing? What’s the name of that combined strike formation?”
The Black Sword Soldier struggled to open his eyes at Yuri’s question.
Looking on the verge of passing out, he answered in a faint voice.
“Black… Chain Formation.”
“Black Chain Formation…….”
“Let me… ask one too. That gap… how’d you find it? Have you… ever faced… a combined strike formation… before?”
“What are you talking about? First time today. And how? It was right there in plain sight—how could I miss it?”
At Yuri’s response, the Black Sword Soldier’s eyes widened slightly in shock as he muttered.
“You… saw it?”
To a Black Sword Soldier, it was absurd.
A guy facing the formation for the first time.
How could he spot its gap in that brief clash and strike it precisely?
Even if someone spent all day explaining the Black Chain Formation’s principles to anyone else, they couldn’t have done what Yuri did.
In other words, Yuri, who’d found the weakness mid-battle, was the freak here.
“Crazy… bastard. Heh heh.”
A low curse.
For a Black Sword Soldier, it was high praise.
Knowing that, Yuri shrugged indifferently and asked again.
“But seriously, what’s up with that gap? Is there something wrong with this Black Chain Formation?”
“Heh heh heh.”
The Black Sword Soldier only let out an unpleasant chuckle at Yuri’s question, giving no answer.
“Puh heh heh heh.”
He kept laughing like that until he passed out completely.
Watching it, Yuri narrowed his eyes.
“…That bastard, what’s so funny?”
Irritated, Yuri pouted and turned toward the 5th floor entrance.
Or tried to.
Puk—.
Yuri lightly kicked the Black Sword Soldier who’d passed out mid-laugh.
After petty revenge, he casually shoved his hands in his pockets as if nothing happened and resumed walking.
It didn’t take Yuri long to figure out what that creepy laugh from the Black Sword Soldier meant.
* * *
Hell difficulty, 5th floor.
Yuri’s eyes widened at the silently approaching black trajectories.
‘That Black Sword Soldier bastard… so that’s why he laughed!’
The grin at the end had a reason.
Having reached the 5th floor, Yuri was greeted by four Black Sword Soldiers—one more than the 4th floor.
One certified 4th dan Black Sword Soldier and three certified 3rd dan ones.
Though there was one extra opponent compared to the 4th floor, Yuri wasn’t too worried.
Even as the four Black Sword Soldiers charged with different colored trajectories.
Even when they unfolded the Black Chain Formation just like before.
Yuri figured one more certified 3rd dan wouldn’t make much difference.
But when the trajectories from their different martial body techniques perfectly interlocked through the formation.
And when they all turned pitch black, Yuri quickly realized he was wrong.
‘Ah, so that’s why it’s called the Black Chain Formation!’
The Black Sword Soldiers’ paths meshed solidly, flying at him like black chains.
Kwang—!
Yuri was shocked by the power in those black chains.
Just one extra certified 3rd dan, and the formation’s might was on another level from the 4th floor.
‘Weakness… the gap?!’
Startled, Yuri desperately sought the gap he’d found on the 4th floor, but it was completely gone.
Facing the flawless Black Chain Formation, Yuri fully understood.
‘The Black Chain Formation itself had no issues.’
The problem lay with the ones executing it.
‘The Black Chain Formation… requires at least four people!’
The version on the 4th floor had a missing cog in its interlocking gears, leaving that glaring gap exposed.
And the meaning of the 4th floor Black Sword Soldier’s creepy grin.
It was simply, ‘You’ll get your answer on the next floor.’
His face hardening at the clash with the proper Black Chain Formation, Yuri carefully deflected the incoming black paths.
Kwa-gang—.
The impact made his palms tingle.
Reflexively about to use his holy sword, Yuri relaxed his expression instead.
He looked somehow convinced.
‘Yeah… now that’s a Black Sword Soldier!’
Right, they needed this level of skill.
Otherwise, how could they be called the world’s strongest armed force?
He quelled his urge to draw the holy sword.
‘If I use the holy sword and demonic style… I could shatter this formation with raw power alone.’
But Yuri didn’t want to.
He wanted to swing his sword a bit longer within the Black Chain Formation.
‘Passing up a chance like this would be stupid!’
He’d challenged the Sword Lord, so he’d surely cross swords with Black Sword Soldiers again someday.
Right now, he could toy around with certified 3rd and 4th dans, but that wouldn’t last.
Even now, certified 4th or 5th dans would be tough, and future battles would be fiercer.
So Yuri wanted to absorb as much as he could about this Black Chain Formation while he had the chance.
For as long as possible.
Savoring it.
“Haha!”
Yuri laughed freely and brightly.
Golden light condensed on his sword, forming a demon sword.
Moments later, amid the flailing black paths, the golden blade went berserk like it had sprouted wings.
Kwa-gang—kwang!
And so, on the 5th floor of hell.
Explosions echoed there for quite some time.
* * *
Several hours later.
Somewhere in the Hundred Days Tower.
Huuuk—.
Coco’s brow furrowed slightly as he exhaled pale smoke.
“…Already on the 6th floor?”
He’d meticulously prepared the hell difficulty of the Hundred Days Tower, yet this guy broke through to the 5th floor in hours, not even holding him for a full day.
Biting down hard on his cigar, Coco asked the Black Sword Soldier standing behind him.
“How are they holding up?”
“All unconscious with serious injuries. They won’t be back on duty for a while.”
At the report, Coco’s forehead creased.
“Who asked about those idiots who got wrecked one by one by a single cadet? How’s Yuri Holland?”
“Yes?”
“Yuri Holland—anything broken or hurt?”
“He… seems a bit fatigued, but no injuries reported.”
“Eish…….”
Coco sighed out smoke in exasperation.
‘Unscathed even after that explosion, and against a proper Black Chain Formation too… not a scratch.’
Truly astounding.
Coco’s eyes darkened.
‘Look at this guy.’
The 5th floor Black Sword Soldiers had the power to stall even a certified 6th dan with their Black Chain Formation.
With luck, they could even repel one.
Yet they couldn’t even scratch Yuri Holland.
The implication was clear.
‘That guy… isn’t your average certified 6th dan.’
Yuri Holland apparently had more hidden strength beyond what he’d shown in the Martial Dragon Tournament and the White Tiger Ritual.
Coco turned to the Black Sword Soldier with another question.
“You’re putting a squad leader on the next floor, right? Just one?”
“Yes. One certified 6th dan squad leader.”
“Add two regular squad members.”
“Yes?!”
The subordinate Black Sword Soldier’s eyes bulged in shock.
“That’s impossible! It violates the rules!”
“Rules? This is a new quest, isn’t it? No prior rules, so this sets the precedent, no?”
“That’s exactly why it’s not allowed! We’ve already upped the difficulty beyond the original plan just for Yuri Holland! Raising it further—who’s gonna clear this hell difficulty then?!”
“Hey, are you stupid?”
“Yes?”
“An idiot?”
Coco clicked his tongue at the blinking subordinate.
“We’ve already sent 3-4 regular Black Sword Soldiers, even used the Black Chain Formation… Who besides Yuri Holland could clear that?”
“…….”
“Not even a squad leader from the cadets’ roster—hell, shove one in there now and they might not come out alive. Right?”
It wasn’t wrong… all of it was spot on, leaving the subordinate speechless.
At that, Coco exhaled deeply.
Huuuk—.
“From the moment we adjusted the difficulty once for that Yuri punk… this quest became one only he could clear. So what’s the harm in cranking it up more now?”
In short: it was already ruined, so making it worse wouldn’t show; might as well cling to that one guy till the end.
No need to spell out who that one was.
“So go add two more squad members. Nicely now.”
His tone was sweet, but Coco’s eyes were ferociously predatory.
Faced with those gleaming eyes, the Black Sword Soldier could only nod vigorously.
“Y-Yes, sir!”
Thus, the already hellish difficulty transcended mere hardship, evolving into ‘infernal hell difficulty.’
In time, it would be dubbed the grade above hell: the ‘Yuri Holland Grade.’